Open AccessProduction of human α‐ and γ‐interferon is dependent on age and sex and is decreased in rheumatoid arthritis: A simple method for a large‐scale assay
Author(s) -
Kita M.,
Yamaji M.,
Kitoh I.,
Kishida T.,
Shiozawa S.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of clinical laboratory analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1098-2825
pISSN - 0887-8013
DOI - 10.1002/jcla.1860050403
Subject(s) - rheumatoid arthritis , simple (philosophy) , scale (ratio) , interferon , immunology , medicine , geography , epistemology , cartography , philosophy
We examined host ability to produce α‐ and γ‐interferon on a large scale by culturing 2 ml of peripheral blood for 20 hr with Sendai virus or concanavalin A as inducer of α‐ or γ‐ interferon, respectively. Production of γ‐but not α‐interferon was lower in females (n = 351) than in males (n = 531) ( P <0.001). Both α‐ and γ‐interferon production declined gradually with ageing. The production of α‐interferon (3,233 ± 1,773 IU/ml) and γ‐interferon (19 ± 20 IU/ml) in rheumatoid arthritis patients was significantly lower than the values found in total and age‐matched healthy donors ( P < 0.01). These results suggest that interferon production is dependent on age and sex and is significantly lower in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.